LUXEMBURG, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The DNR is planning to provide clean drinking water to people whose wells are contaminated by manure runoff.
It could help areas that have been dealing with issues for years, like Kewaunee County.
Since 2001, Chuck Wagner has struggled with well water at his Luxemburg home.
That’s when he tells WLUK his first well tested positive for bacteria and nitrate contamination.
“Paid almost $10,000 of our own money to have a new well drilled and that well lasted for a year and a half”
That new well is still contaminated with nitrates. It’s undrinkable. So Wagner and his family drink bottled water.
They also have a reverse osmosis filtering system that sends some clean water to the kitchen sink and refrigerator.
“I only get one gallon of water per hour” As a Kewaunee County Board Member, Wagner is happy to hear about the DNR’s program to provide clean water to his constituents dealing with similar struggles.
“I’m glad that they’re using this, that they came out with this” Wagner says he can’t benefit from the DNR’s program because the water that comes out of his well is only contaminated with nitrates, not bacteria.
“This is strictly geared toward bacteria. We still haven’t found any bacteria, which is a good thing” Wagner said this is a good step, but…
“How come this didn’t come out sooner?”
In statement the DNR said several programs worked together to take this step as quickly as possible.
Stacy Harbaugh is communications director at Midwest Environmental Advocates….
“Citizens have been asking for this step for many years and this is good news for people who have been asking for it for a long time” The DNR will only provide clean water for six months.
In that time property owners can work with the DNR to get funding for a permanent fix.
Harbaugh says this cannot be the only step.
“The DNR and our state leadership needs to do more to enforce the environmental laws that protect our drinking water in the first place” Wagner said , in his county, at least, there is hope.
He says farmers are trying new techniques to lessen manure runoff and local governments are planning new infrastructure.
“So I think there’s a lot of good things happening” A group of farmers called ‘Peninsula Pride Farms’ already offers clean drinking water.
That year-old program is for people with contaminated wells in the Kewaunee and Southern Door area.
